ADAPTVitis Center for Adapting Viticulture to Climate Change Opened
The ADAPTVitis center was opened today in Mandićevac; it will contribute to the adaptation of viticulture to climate change through scientific research on grapevines. The research center was built as part of a strategic project of the same name, valued at 2.5 million euros, which is 85% co-financed under the Interreg VI-A IPA Croatia–Serbia 2021–2027 cross-border cooperation program.
The opening ceremony for the center—constructed within the viticulture and winemaking experimental site of the Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences Osijek—was attended by Domagoj Mikulić, State Secretary at the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds; Goran Ivanović, Deputy Prefect of Osijek-Baranja County; and Prof. Tomislav Vinković, Dean of the Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences Osijek.
"ADAPTVitis is one of the strategic projects for agricultural development in border regions that the Government outlined ten years ago. Today, we are opening a center that will provide scientific and technological insights to help winemakers from Croatia and Serbia adapt their production to changing climatic conditions, while simultaneously preserving wine quality," noted State Secretary Domagoj Mikulić.
Deputy County Prefect Goran Ivanović emphasized that nearly 65% of the Osijek-Baranja County budget is derived from the agricultural sector. "This project is of great significance for strengthening the competitiveness of wine producers from border regions," added Ivanović.
"I am very pleased with the opening of this center, which represents an important step forward in the development of our faculty, scientific research, and the application of innovative solutions in agriculture," said Prof. Tomislav Vinković, Dean of the Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences Osijek. He concluded that the ADAPTVitis project will help educate new generations of students who will apply the knowledge they have gained to strengthen the viticulture and winemaking sectors.
As part of the project, a similar research center will also be built in Sremski Karlovci, Serbia. The project is implemented by the Faculty of Agrobiotechnical Sciences Osijek as the lead partner, in cooperation with the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Novi Sad.
The ADAPTVitis project encompasses a range of research and practical activities, including the collection and analysis of climate data, soil analysis, and field research at experimental sites in Mandićevac and Sremski Karlovci. One of its key objectives is to identify which grapevine varieties exhibit greater resilience to drought and other adverse climatic conditions. The research will also include an analysis of yields and an assessment of the quality of the wines produced. The data collected and the research findings will serve as a foundation for drafting a strategic action plan and developing recommendations for more sustainable vineyard management in the context of climate change. Furthermore, the project strengthens cross-border cooperation, fosters links between scientific institutions and the business sector, and contributes to the development of concrete solutions for the challenges posed by climate change. It is expected that the project’s results will, in the long term, support the development of viticulture, the conservation of natural resources, and the economic empowerment of rural areas.
For the 2021–2027 financial period, €34.8 million in EU funding has been allocated to support cross-border projects under the Interreg VI-A IPA Croatia–Serbia programme. Following the first and second calls for project proposals, a total of 43 projects are currently being implemented at various stages, two of which are strategic projects.